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(Attached: Fanwei / Regurgitation)
The etiology of Yige (Dysphagia and Food Impaction) involves three main factors: one is Qi stagnation due to worry and overthinking; two is the inability to vent anger; three is damage to the Stomach from excessive alcohol consumption. If worry and overthinking remain unresolved, Heart Qi becomes knotted. Since the Heart System connects to the pharynx, knotting leads to stagnant fire harassing the clear orifices and phlegm-fluids entangling them. Initially, there is difficulty swallowing food; after a long time, Yige syndrome develops. This is what Zhang Jifeng referred to as a "disease between spirit and thought" (a disorder related to mental and emotional states). The treatment method should first focus on counseling and resolving the patient's psychological burden, followed by using herbs to soothe Heart Qi, clear stagnant fire, eliminate phlegm-fluids, and benefit the throat. Early treatment often results in recovery; if the condition progresses to the point where feces resemble sheep droppings, it is incurable. Generally, anger generates Fire. When one shouts or scolds loudly, the angry Fire is vented out, allowing the body to return to equilibrium without injury. However, those who suppress their anger experience Liver Qi stagnating for a long time, transforming into Fire. Mildly, this causes Stomach pain due to Liver Fire invading the Stomach; severely, it damages the Stomach, causing a loss of its descending function. The Yangming Stomach channel regards unobstructed flow as tonification and descending movement as smoothness. When diseased, it fails to be unobstructed or descend; food entering the Stomach remains stagnant and undigested, leading to Ge disease. The treatment method similarly requires first resolving the patient's psychological burden, followed by using herbs to soothe the Liver, unblock the Fu organs, eliminate phlegm, and regulate Qi. Mild cases are easy to treat, while severe cases are difficult to cure. People fond of wine indulge daily, consuming little grain food, leading to a lack of nourishment for the Stomach. With Stomach deficiency and poor transport, damp-heat gradually arises, steaming upward to the epiglottis and stagnating in the middle Jiao (Stomach region), often resulting in Yige. Generally, Yige is located superiorly, while Ge is located centrally. Yige does not necessarily imply Ge, but Ge always accompanies Yige; Yige is mild, whereas Ge is severe. The treatment method should first advise moderation in drinking, then use herbs to support the Stomach, promote diuresis to remove dampness, clear Fire, and eliminate phlegm. Early treatment yields cures in eight or nine out of ten cases. Fanwei (Regurgitation) is characterized by eating in the morning and vomiting in the evening, or eating in the evening and vomiting in the morning. It often results from mental and physical exhaustion, unresolved sorrow, irregular meals, and long-term damage to the Stomach. The treatment principle prioritizes tonifying the Stomach, combined with herbs that unblock the Fu organs and direct Qi downward, also achieving cures in eight or nine out of ten cases. In advanced stages of Yige, when food reaches the pylorus (referred to as the lower opening) and enters the Large Intestine only slightly, and is subjected to dry-Fire cauterization, the stool often resembles sheep droppings. This indicates the disease has reached 80-90% severity, making treatment difficult. Furthermore, Kidney disease may obstruct the pylorus (as the Kidney serves as the gate of the Stomach), preventing food intake. In such cases, Liuwei Dihuang Wan (Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia) or Bawei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill) decoctions should be used; this knowledge is indispensable.